Wells’ Syndrome Mimicking Angioedema and Revealing a Multiple Myeloma: A Case Report

Wells' syndrome (WS), or eosinophilic cellulitis, is a rare inflammatory dermatosis with a variety of clinical presentations. It typically manifests with recurrent pruritic erythematous plaques and edematous swellings, which can be mistaken for other conditions, such as erysipelas or angioedema. We report an unusual presentation of WS localized on the face of a 60-year-old male with a history of recurrent facial plaques, mistakenly treated as angioedema. After an extensive evaluation, a diagnosis of smoldering multiple myeloma was revealed as an underlying neoplastic condition. This case highlights the importance of considering Wells' syndrome in differential diagnoses of recurrent cellulitis-like presentations, even in the absence of peripheral eosinophilia, and underscores the need for histopathological confirmation for an accurate diagnosis.

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Publication Details

Journal
Cureus
Published
2025-04-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.82426
Primary Topic
Eosinophilic Disorders and Syndromes
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Wells’ Syndrome Mimicking Angioedema and Revealing a Multiple Myeloma: A Case Report

Soumiya Chiheb, Madiha Eljazouly, Lamia Mansour Billah
Cureus
Eosinophilic Disorders and Syndromes
article

Wells’ Syndrome Mimicking Angioedema and Revealing a Multiple Myeloma: A Case Report

Soumiya Chiheb, Madiha Eljazouly, Lamia Mansour Billah
article en

Abstract

Wells' syndrome (WS), or eosinophilic cellulitis, is a rare inflammatory dermatosis with a variety of clinical presentations. It typically manifests with recurrent pruritic erythematous plaques and edematous swellings, which can be mistaken for other conditions, such as erysipelas or angioedema. We report an unusual presentation of WS localized on the face of a 60-year-old male with a history of recurrent facial plaques, mistakenly treated as angioedema. After an extensive evaluation, a diagnosis of smoldering multiple myeloma was revealed as an underlying neoplastic condition. This case highlights the importance of considering Wells' syndrome in differential diagnoses of recurrent cellulitis-like presentations, even in the absence of peripheral eosinophilia, and underscores the need for histopathological confirmation for an accurate diagnosis.

CureusVol. 17(4)
University of Health Science (KH), Hôpital Universitaire International Cheikh Khalifa (MA), University of Health Sciences (SO), International University (KH)
Gender equality
Openalex Percentile: Top 88%
Eosinophilic Disorders and Syndromes
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